COP27, the UN climate conference, has begun in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Conor Lennon and Laura Quinoňes are at the high stakes event, for daily episodes of The Lid Is On, explaining the main issues of the day, and talking to some of the experts, activists and leaders.

Monday saw the Secretary-General give a forthright speech at the opening session, and it became clear that the vexed issue of “loss and damage” – how to compensate developing countries for the damage caused by the climate crisis – is likely to dominate discussion over the next two weeks.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

We’re just a few days away from COP27, the UN Climate Conference, which is taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 07 November.

For this episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon and Laura Quiñones invited Selwin Hart – the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Climate Action – into the studio to gauge the atmosphere before this high-stakes event.

You will also hear from Ilana Seid, Palau’s Ambassador to the UN, on the tense atmosphere during negotiations during last year’s climate COP in Glasgow, and Ian Fry, the first ever Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the context of climate change.

From Monday, Laura and Conor will present daily episodes of The Lid Is On from Sharm El-Sheikh, where they’ll bring you all the highlights from an event that aims to refocus leaders’ minds on the most pressing existential threat to mankind: the climate crisis. You can subscribe to the show on all major podcast platforms.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

Nearly four decades on from the adoption of the UN Convention against Torture, there is evidence that it is still taking place in all regions of the world, even though it’s a recognized international crime.

On this week’s episode of The lid Is On, Conor Lennon met Claude Heller and Suzanne Jabour – the chairpersons of the UN Committee against Torture, and the Sub-committee on the Prevention of Torture – two independent human rights experts who attempt to convince countries to end the practice.

They explain that, in some countries and regions, torture is still seen thought to be a useful or acceptable part of interrogations, even though it has been shown to be ineffective.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

Most people are familiar with the phenomenon of refugees, those forced to flee their country of origin, because of a well-founded fear of persecution or, in some places, because of armed conflict or natural disaster.

But there is another, equally vulnerable category of people, who don’t cross international boundaries, but find it necessary to relocate to a different region of their country.

On today’s episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon met with Cecilia Jimenez-Damary – the outgoing UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons – on the link between conflict and the climate crisis, which is increasingly causing people to leave their homes in search of safety.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

It’s been thirty years since the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to create the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on 17 October 1992.

Great advances have been made in reducing global poverty since then, particularly in China and India, but the period has also seen significant increases in inequality, between and within countries.

To get a better idea of what progress has been made in dealing with poverty worldwide, Conor Lennon met Aye Aye Win, the President of the International Committee for October 17, which promotes the spirit and aims of the International Day, and Stacy White, an activist who advocates for some of the poorest people in New York.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

It’s World Space Week, a UN event celebrating the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.

This year’s theme is space and sustainability, with a focus on how the technology can help us to better understand climate change.

On this week’s episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon from UN News is joined by Niklas Hedman, the head of the UN Office on Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and Maruška Strah, the head of World Space Week, to find out about the growing danger of space debris, and why artists need to join scientists on the moon, mars, and beyond.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

Counter-terrorism is one of the lesser-known subjects covered by the UN, but attempts to improve international cooperation to combat terrorism have grown in recent years, particularly since the 2001 plane attacks against the US.

On today’s episode of The Lid Is On, Jennifer Bramlette from the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), and Adam Hadley from Tech Against Terrorism, a public-private partnership, join Conor Lennon to talk about the pervasive threat posed by the use of online technology by terror groups, and how Governments can fight back.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

On this week’s episode of The Lid Is On, we look at how the issue of the climate emergency has been raised during the opening session of the latest General Assembly session (UNGA77).

This week, we've heard powerful speeches by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, star-studded events and gatherings at UN Headquarters, and hundreds of events taking place in New York, capitalizing on the global attention the city receives, when so many world leaders are in town.

As well as Mr. Guterres, the episode features the voices of former New York mayor and climate envoy Michael Bloomberg, and the new head of the UN Climate (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa

This week we bring you a bonus episode of The Lid Is On: an exclusive interview with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

On the eve of High-Level Week, when leaders from around the world gather at UN Headquarters in New York, Nargiz Shekinskaya from UN News sat down with Mr. Guterres to discuss some of the key international issues on his agenda, including the climate crisis, the need to urgently transform education, and how to tackle the worrying rise in xenophobia and hate speech.

World leaders will soon be flying into New York, for High-Level Week at the UN General Assembly.

On Friday, the Peace Bell at UN Headquarters was rung by the UN Secretary-General and President of the General Assembly, and hundreds of young students filled the Economic and Social Council chamber, to reflect on this year’s theme for International Day of Peace, End Racism, Build Peace.

Conor Lennon from UN News went along to the commemorations, and met some of the young people, activists and celebrities taking part. This episode also contains a lookahead to some of the key events taking place during the busiest week of the year for most people working at Headquarters.